The present invention relates to wireless networks and more specifically to a method and apparatus for integrating spectrum data from a plurality of autonomous radio agents by a cloud-based data fusion and computing element, thereby enabling network self-organization and adaptive control of dynamic frequency selection in 802.11 ac/n and LTE-U networks. Embodiments of the present invention include a cloud-based data fusion and computation element coupled to a plurality of wireless agility agents in a split-intelligence architecture wherein embedded radios in the agility agents collect real-time spectral information continuously, such as radar detection information, and measurements of interference, traffic, signatures of neighboring devices, and other localized over-the-air information.
Wi-Fi networks are crucial to today's portable modern life. Wi-Fi is the preferred network in the growing Internet-of-Things (IoT). But, the technology behind current Wi-Fi has changed little in the last ten years. The Wi-Fi network and the associated unlicensed spectrum are currently managed in inefficient ways. For example, there is little or no coordination between individual networks and equipment from different manufacturers. Such networks generally employ primitive control algorithms that assume the network consists of “self-managed islands,” a concept originally intended for low density and low traffic environments. The situation is far worse for home networks, which are assembled in completely chaotic ad hoc ways. The underlying media access protocols employed by 802.11 Wi-Fi are contention-based, meaning that a high frequency of collisions is assumed as there is no timing coordination of transmissions between access points and their associated clients. This coupled together with the fundamental need of 802.11 and LTE-U to co-exist in shared limited spectrum leads to significant instances of interference and growing problems of congestion. Further, with more and more connected devices becoming commonplace, the net result is growing congestion and slowed networks with unreliable connections.
Similarly, LTE-U networks operating in the same or similar unlicensed bands as 802.11ac/n Wi-Fi suffer similar congestion and unreliable connection issues and will often create congestion problems for existing Wi-Fi networks sharing the same channels. Additional bandwidth and better and more efficient utilization of spectrum is key to sustaining the usefulness of wireless networks including the Wi-Fi and LTE-U networks in a fast growing connected world.
Additional bandwidth and better and more efficient utilization of spectrum will be key to sustaining the usefulness of Wi-Fi and LTE-U networks in a fast growing connected world. The vast majority of Wi-Fi and LTE-U access point and small cell base station designs today are standalone devices, in keeping with the established concept of “self-managed islands.” By necessity (physical size and economics), they contain limited radio resources, and limited embedded computing capabilities and memory. Consequently such standalone designs suffer from limited ability to sense their spectral environment and limited ability to adapt to changing conditions, resulting in inefficient utilization of spectrum and a growing problem.